Reference Books

Reference Books

Definitions of reference book:

• A book you may use to find information on specific facts rather than to read through. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and almanacs are all reference books. Reference books do not circulate.
  www.njcu.edu/Guarini/instructions/ILTutorial/Glossary.htm
• A book that contains facts, statistics, biographical information, or other such as to make it a valuable tool for answering reference questions. These books may not be taken out of the library, as a rule, and are shelved separately from the rest of the collection.
  www.wit.edu/library/Ori
• A book designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover. Reference books often consist of a series of signed or unsigned "entries" listed alphabetically under headwords or headings, or in some other arrangement (classified, numeric, etc.). ...
  www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/tutorials/infoskills/glossary.html

How Is Information Organized In Reference Books (How Do I Find What I Need?)

• Accessing information in Reference books, or any book, is not as easy as searching an electronic database that automatically searches for word matches or alternative "related terms." Using Reference Books requires patience and creativity.
• You may have to think of several terms that describe your topic, only a few of which may be used in the Reference Book to describe the topic.
• You may have to think of broader categories under which your topic will be classified; the Reference Book may not devote an entire section to your topic, but it may discuss your topic within a chapter devoted to a more general topic. For example: poaching may be found in a book on hunting; music downloading may be found in a book on Internet piracy.

There are several ways that Reference Books are organized:

1. Alphabetically, in a single volume or non-continuing multi-volume set: Try looking up your topic by a keyword or a person's last name.
2. Thematically, in a non-continuing multi-volume set: each volume contains information related to a specific topic, which is often organized alphabetically within each volume. There is often an index for each volume, and also a cumulative index for all of the volumes in the set.
3. Cumulatively, through additions of new volumes to the set: each volume may have an updated cumulative index that adds the index terms from the latest addition.

Using the Index

The Reference Book may or may not list information under the keyword that you have selected. You may have to use the index to identify the keyword that is used in the reference book to describe your topic. You may find cross-references to assist you in locating a keyword.

Cross-Reference Indicators:

• See - indicates that the keyword that you selected is not used in the reference book to organize information; you must use the term provided to locate related information.
• See also - indicates that the information that you are seeking may be found in more than one place; you must also look under the suggested term, as well as the term that you selected.

• Index Key: Pay attention to formatting that the Reference Book uses to point you to specific types of information.

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• Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to West Virginia
• 
  

• Index Page locators shown in bold face type indicate volume numbers.

A
Abram Creek, 3:32–33 (see volume 3, page 32-33)
Access, river

• Etiquette and parking, 13–15
• Gauley River, 228
• Tygart River, 162
• .see also Etiquette, river; Permits

Animals, wild, 34. see also Wildlife

B
Back Creek, 71–72
Back Fork of the Elk River. see Elk River
Bear Creek, 325–326
Beaver Creek, 142
Big Beaver Creek, 238–239, 240
Big Sandy Creek, 114, 120, 133–139
Biking. see Trails
Bluestone River

• History and overview, 260
• New River and the, 267
• River descriptions, 262–265
• Tributaries, 265–267

Bonds Creek, 189–190

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Created by A. Bemis 2/7/10